A qualitative study on the emotional intelligence of educational administrators in different cultural contexts

The aim of this research is to examine teachers' perceptions of school administrators' emotional intelligence in different cultural contexts. The study aims to reveal how emotional intelligence is interpreted in educational leadership by comparing the experiences of teachers working in Turkey and Turkish teachers working in schools in Azerbaijan. The research was conducted using a case study approach, a qualitative research design. The study group consisted of 20 teachers in total: 10 teachers working in schools in Turkey and 10 Turkish teachers working in schools in Azerbaijan. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using content analysis. The research findings show that teachers primarily evaluate school administrators' emotional intelligence through the dimensions of empathy, emotion management, communication skills, and supporting teacher motivation. In the Turkish context, the perception of administrators exhibiting a more controlled and bureaucratic leadership approach is prominent, while in the Azerbaijani context, it was determined that administrators exhibit a more relationship-oriented attitude and openly express their emotions. Furthermore, it was found that administrators perceived as having a high level of emotional intelligence strengthen teacher motivation and the perception of psychological security; It has been shown that a lack of emotional awareness is associated with loss of motivation and emotional burnout. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that emotional intelligence is a multidimensional construct influenced by cultural and organizational contexts in educational leadership; it draws attention to the importance of emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity-focused practices in the training and professional development processes of educational administrators. YARIM, D. D. (2026). A qualitative study on the emotional intelligence of educational administrators in different cultural contexts. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18155261